A oneshot side-story for MustangLover97's story Caged 2: Ghost Runner. One of my OC's is in it so I decided to write this little thing. "In battle, there are no losers or winners, just soldiers fighting to survive." "Is that your way of saying you lost?"

He supposed there were easier ways to study a ninja than engaging them in sparring matches which were more controlled than meeting them in the real world. Their arena was small and boarded by walls, he couldn't hide behind thick bush or dive into the sand then pop out like a Jack-in-the-box. After five hours of near continuous fighting, it was all down to predicting one another's moves. Erebus wasn't all too concerned, his advantage was height and some subtle muscle mass but he knew his opponent was much faster and quieter. Still, he could be fast when he wanted to be. He wasn't weighed down by heavy arterially, just a pair of black sweats and a white t-shirt. He had even allowed the girls to braid his long black hair and he shook his bangs out of his face with a sigh.

"You're certainly not going to go down easy, friend." He said in a smirk, watching Snake Eyes bandage his arm. "Sorry for the hidden blade, I'm used to fighting dirty."

"Don't worry, I've seen worse. I expected something like that anyway, considering what Whisper has told me."

"I hope I'm not that predictable in the future."

Snake Eyes drew the katana's from his back and gestured for Erebus to choose one of his own weapons lying on the table against the wall. He bowed respectfully, red eyes glinting and walked towards his latest arsenal. He tended to pack certain things when he went to certain places, trying to optimize the best of his resources to take down his targets quickly and efficently. Today was lacking, a number of his blades had dulled and a few were broken, guns weren't his favorite chose either. He frowned, placing a hand on his hip and rubbing a scar hidden beneath the fabric of his pants. Sensing eyes on his back, he spun on his toes and smiled.

"So, what do you think? What here might have a chance at beating your father, Eagle Eyes?" It was a joke as much as it was a compliment; Erebus thought suddenly, for his watcher couldn't see him but probably could hear much better than he could. Griffin walked over beside him and pursed her lips; her hands hovered over the table before she gripped two wooden handles. Erebus cautioned for her to be careful of the blades as he fastened them onto his hands. They were modified tonfa, about 20 inches in lengths with 23 inches of steel blades fused into the wood. The weapons were worn as gloves, covering his fingers and one half of his palm. However, he could slip them off and pull out a hidden handle that could rotate around, making the tonfa spin.

"Good choice, what are my odds?"

"I don't know, Dad's never let anyone beat him before." Erebus looked up and spotted the other brunette twin, her silver and blue eyes sparkling as the light hit them. Grifffin snorted and angled her head over her shoulder to look at her father, listening to his laboured breathing and steady heartbeat.

"You got some good hits on him already, strike those areas again." Griffin advised, folding her arms over her chest. "But he's gotten you pretty good too, you're too slow."

"Just what I was thinking and I know," Erebus ruffled her hair and chuckled as she tried to put it back in order, hre face flushing slightly in embarassement. He gave Sasha quick nod and bent his knees, placing both his hands in front of his face and cracking his shoulders.

"Let's not disappoint your daughters, Snake Eyes."

"Who exactly won?" Dren removed the ice from his bruising cheek and growled, giving Snake Eyes a withering gaze and ignoring Sasha as she giggled at him.

"In battle, there are no losers or winners, just soldiers fighting to survive."

"Is that your way of saying you lost?" Dren jerked a thumb over at Snake Eyes.

A red scar ran across his chest and a bloody gash ripped open his leg, there were multiple bruises on his body due to the wooden part of his tonfa. But Dren wasn't unharmed. There were multiple scars on his arms, a few on his face with the bruise from Snake Eyes fist, both men had cracked one or two ribs, and Dren struggled to take off his shirt for the doctors to intervene and take care of him.

"I'm simply stating that there was no definite winner, I have only ever fought your husband once and thus cannot decide who was the victor. Don't smile at me like that, Sasha – honestly, you're like your mother in your teasing of me."

"There's always next time." Whisper said encouragingly as one of the doctors started stitching a nasty cut on Dren's shoulder.

"Indeed, after the two of us have properly regained our pride."

Whisper put a hand over her eyes and slowly dragged it over her face with a sigh.

"You're being ridiculous."

"But you are amused all the same."

"Can't argue there."

Author's Note: Having done anything on here aside from review so I went back and re-read Caged 2: Ghost Runner because I have an OC there. This probably takes place before Dren and the twins leave for Australia. Yeah. Nothing much else to say.

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